Broken Minds
Official Synopsis http://lockedonstudios.wixsite.com/lockedon/broken-minds Broken Minds is a murder-mystery visual novel set in 90s Japan. When lonely 20-something [[Noa Karada]] finds herself being stalked by a mysterious killer in a rabbit mask known as [[The Orphan]], she contacts the [[YPDA|Yamagata Private Detective Agency]] for help. However, as her case grows more complex, the detectives grow more distant and eccentric. Perhaps [[Noa Karada|Noa]] would’ve been better off never letting them into her life at all… Status Available to purchase on [https://store.steampowered.com/app/746420/Broken_Minds/ Steam], [https://lockedon.itch.io/broken-minds itch.io], and [https://gamejolt.com/games/brokenminds/331782 GameJolt]. Free demo available on itch.io. Characters [[Noa Karada]] [[Noriko Karada]] [[Hiroki Karada]] [[Ume Hakase]] [[Takuma Karashi]] [[Yuzuki Hiiro]] [[Junji Uzumaki]] [[Reiwa Kyougi]] [[Amane Kirishima]] (mentioned) [[The Orphan]] Locations * [[Noa's apartment]] * [[Yamagata Yamagata Hospital|Hospital]] (never visited, seen in a cutscene) * [[YPDA offices]] * [[Uzumaki's office]] * Uzumaki's house (mentioned, never seen or visited) * [[Reiwa's house]] Resources Have a look at the [[Broken Minds walkthrough|official walkthrough]] if you're stuck, and the [[Broken Minds medals|medals page]] for a guide on what you can unlock in the game. Other useful pages: * The [[Visual Style|visual style page]] * The [[Broken Minds extras|extras page]] ('''spoilers''') * [[Broken Minds credits|Credits]] Technical * Approximately 4 - 5 hours on first playthrough * 57,375 words, 7,221 lines total (includes developer commentary and tutorials) Media Gameplay Though Broken Minds is primarily a visual novel, you are able to explore environments in the game by clicking arrows at the bottom of the screen. The most obvious gameplay comes in the form of the [[Logic Train]] sections. There are also choices to make that set you on different paths, such as the [[Emoji Mood Choice]], and [[Evidence Choice]] menus. Trivia * The characters actually canonically change clothes (whereas many visual novel/movie/anime characters have a "signature look"). The reason the sprites appear in the same clothes throughout the game is because it only takes place over three days, and each day is so intense that there is no time to change clothes. * The initial plot of the game was about the YPDA fighting terrorists. It was set in the "near future", and would've taken place in only three locations: Noa's apartment, the YPDA, and Noa's parent's apartment. This version of the game was called "Our Sin" (a play on the word "Arson"). The only things that remain from this version are: Most of the main cast, the concepts for the environments, and the fact that the case involves arson. * Here are some of [[Broken Minds notes|the notes written during the development process]]. Plot '''SPOILER WARNING!''' This section outlines the full plot of the game, and as such, contains major spoilers for the different routes. Sunday. The usual time for my parents to visit me in my new apartment. '''Broken Minds''' opens with [[Noa Karada|Noa]] waiting for her parents, [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]] and [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]], to arrive. Soon after, [[The Orphan|a figure in a rabbit mask]] appears at the window, scaring them. Smoke begins to fill the apartment, and [[Noa Karada|Noa]] and her parents jump out of the window to escape. An ambulance arrives soon afterwords, (presumably [[Noa Karada|Noa]] called it). One day later, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is meeting with [[Ume Hakase|Ume]], the "techie" of the [[YPDA|Yamagata Private Detective Agency]]. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] agrees to help [[Noa Karada|Noa]] solve the mystery, and immediately starts pressuring [[Noa Karada|Noa]] about the [[YPDA]]'s payment for solving it. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] leaves [[Noa Karada|Noa]] to talk with [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]], (the coroner). [[Noa Karada|Noa]] follows her into the bullpen, and begins a conversation, triggering the [[Emoji Mood Choice|Emoji Mood Choice Screen]]. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] takes a phone call from [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]], (the chief investigator). [[Noa Karada|Noa]] hears the doorbell ring, goes to answer it, and finds a [[The Letter|letter]]. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] and [[Noa Karada|Noa]] read the letter, and discover that it contains a confession from the masked individual, who calls themselves "[[The Orphan]]", that they have killed [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s parents while [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is at the [[YPDA|Agency]]. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] calls [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]]'s cell phone, but he doesn't answer. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] insists that [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] follow her to her apartment. When they arrive, they find that [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s parents really have been killed. The detectives begin their investigation. [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] asks [[Noa Karada|Noa]] a series of questions about the case. Your answers to his questions factor into which route you are on. [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]]'s theory is that [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]] and [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] were killed by [[The Orphan]] right after he left. [[The Orphan]] came in through the broken window and shot both of them. However, his theory doesn't cover the damage done to [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s pillows. [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] enters the conversation and explains that, contrary to [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]]'s theory, while the victims have bullet holes, [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] actually died from poisoning, and [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]] died from a heart attack. The other detectives antagonize her. Depending on whether you saw a certain framed newspaper in the YPDA [[Noa Karada|Noa]] theorizes that [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] is disliked for getting the [[YPDA]] into massive debt. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can choose to help [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] with the evidence right away, or stay and answer a question about her theory regarding the killer's motive. But either way, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] eventually helps [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] sort the evidence. While sorting evidence, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can either "solve" or "tamper" with three items, depending on which route you're on. The detectives then consider the evidence before them, and either solve or don't solve parts of it depending on your choice of evidence and whether you were solving or tampering with it. No matter what, the detectives always zero in on [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s therapist, [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]], as a person of interest in the case after she mentions him. They pile into the detective's car to go to his office. When they arrive, they are greeted by [[Reiwa Kyougi]], [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]]'s secretary. She's about to go home for the day, but is convinced to let the detectives talk to [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]]. Unfortunately, they find [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]] sprawled dead on the floor. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]], [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] and [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] move his body to prepare for an on-the-spot autopsy. [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] recruits [[Noa Karada|Noa]] into "helping him" search the office for clues (when really, she's doing all the work). [[Noa Karada|Noa]] finds rabbit-themed chocolates dumped in the pond. She needs a key to access [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]]'s private office, and so goes to find [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] to get it. [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] is crying, but after some consoling, gives [[Noa Karada|Noa]] the key. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] finds a piece of paper in [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]]'s file cabinet with scribbles of rabbits all over it. She shows it to the detectives, want her to pay for their investigation of [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]]. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] points out that they need to tie [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]]'s murder to [[The Orphan]] in order for her to pay them for investigating both murders. [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] does so by connecting the rabbit sketch and rabbit-themed chocolates to [[The Orphan]], who has been established as having a connection to rabbits. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can then choose which suspect to try to tie the murders to: [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]], [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]], or a girl named [[Amane Kirishima]], who is a patient of [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]]'s. [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] dismisses [[Amane Kirishima|Amane]] as a suspect because he has deduced that she is a little girl who probably wouldn't kill anybody and has no connection to Noa's parents. He also doubts [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] has a connection to [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s parents. I don't think [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] had any motive to kill your parents, or try to burn your house down. Therefore, I don't think she would use rabbit-shaped chocolate to kill her boss. Why be so specific if not to send a message? — [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]]. Thus, the detectives conclude that [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] is their prime suspect, and that he poisoned himself with the chocolates so that he wouldn't get caught. [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] reveals that the unidentified poison that [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] was killed with is the same poison that [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] was poisoned with. [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] suggests that [[Noa Karada|Noa]] spend the night at [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]]'s house, since her apartment is a crime scene. [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] agrees to let [[Noa Karada|Noa]] stay there. When Noa and [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] arrive, [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] reveals to [[Noa Karada|Noa]] that she thinks she killed [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]] in a drug-induced rage because she knows many terrible secrets about him. He isn't a licensed therapist, for one. This triggers the first [[Logic Train]] gameplay section, in which [[Noa Karada|Noa]] must either convince [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] that yes, she did indeed kill him, or disprove it, depending on your current route. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can then ask if [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] will be her friend. [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] refuses. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] goes to sleep, and has a strange dream where the detectives, who have turned into rabbit creatures, are on the stairs near [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s upper apartment. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] awakens distraught, convinced that her dream is important somehow. [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]] drives [[Noa Karada|Noa]] back to the YPDA offices, for the endgame. Once there, the detectives begin their final deduction based on either of two conclusions: [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] is [[The Orphan]] or [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is [[The Orphan]]. Each conclusion gets three different [[Logic Train]] gameplay sections, as [[Noa Karada|Noa]] argues with the detectives and tests their theory. Endings '''Uzumaki is The Orphan''' waits to kill [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]] and [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]].]] In this version of events, [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] stood outside [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s apartment window with a homemade gun, ready to kill [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s parents. However, he was scared off by a puff of water vapor from [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s rice cooker, which he confused with smoke. The next day, he returned to try again. He waited until [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] left, then shot [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s parents, spewing bullets everywhere. The shock of being shot at by a [[The Orphan|rabbit masked individual]] triggered [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]]'s heart attack, and even though the homemade bullets didn't kill her, that did. [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] also saw that [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] was still breathing after being shot. Luckily, he had a pink poisoned chocolate to feed him (the detectives mistook a chocolate smear on [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]]'s lips for a lipstick smear). He drove right past [[Takuma Karashi|Takuma]] on his way to deliver [[The Letter|the letter]]. Once he was back at his office, he poisoned himself with the chocolates. [[Uzumaki's motive]] is theorized, but never confirmed. The detectives then offer [[Noa Karada|Noa]] the chance to join their agency for having helped them with the mystery. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can either refuse or accept this offer which results in the "JOIN" or "ALONE" endings. JOIN [[Noa Karada|Noa]] can be seen posing with the detectives in a framed newspaper. It is implied that she replaced [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]] as a member, as [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]]'s face is scribbled out in a nearby framed roster of detectives. ALONE The framed newspaper includes [[Yuzuki Hiiro|Yuzuki]], and her face isn't scribbled out. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is crouched in her apartment, alone with her thoughts. '''Noa is The Orphan''' working on distilling the poison.]] In this version of events, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] created an incredibly elaborate plot to remotely kill her parents in order to have friends. It started when she mailed the poisoned chocolates to [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]]. The "fire" was actually a bit of dry ice in the rice cooker. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] used a stone tied to a string to fake tapping sounds at the window. When she directed her parents to look there, she removed the rabbit mask from her purse. The reflection of the mask in the window made it look like the figure was outside. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] then jumped out the window. In the ambulance, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] swapped [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]]'s lipstick with poisoned lipstick. She created the poison by swiping [[Reiwa Kyougi|Reiwa]]'s drugs while visiting [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]]. The drugs, when mixed with "a few household items", create a poison that kills within half an hour when ingested, and doesn't damage skin. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] gave [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]] the antidote to the poison in the hospital. She also altered [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]]'s cell phone ringtone to emit a high-pitched sound that would disrupt [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]]'s pacemaker, and also trigger shrapnel bombs in the pillows. When [[Noa Karada|Noa]] called [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] in the YPDA office, the ringtone killed [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]]. [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]] performed mouth-to-mouth to try to keep her alive, and was poisoned by [[Noriko Karada|Noriko]]'s lipstick. The bombs went off, disguising the murder as a shooting. [[Noa's motive]] is revealed in pieces throughout the different routes. This conclusion results, again, in two choices. The detectives offer to take a large bribe and completely let [[Noa Karada|Noa]] off the hook for what she's done. Or, she can refuse the bribe and go to jail. JAIL [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is seen in a jail cell, ruminating on events. PAID [[Noa Karada|Noa]] is seen leaving the [[YPDA]], free to murder again. Routes & True Endings '''DEEP SPOILER WARNING!''' It is highly recommended that you play the game to discover these secrets for yourself before reading. There are two "true endings" in Broken Minds, which are unlocked after you play through the game on "NICE", "EXPIATOR", "BLEAK", "PUPPET", etc. Dialogue and [[Logic Train|Logic Trains]] that you have seen before become skippable, making it less of an excruciating experience. After playing through the game and getting one of the "[[Noa Karada|Noa]] is guilty" endings, play up until you first talk to [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] in the YPDA. A cutscene begins, revealing that the choice between "NICE", "LIAR", "PSYCHOPATH", etc. is actually a choice between alternate personalities — [[Noa Karada|Noa]] has dissociative identity disorder, which explains some of the vagueness of the writing. [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s "nice" alter is convinced by the "puppet" alter to look under her sleeve, where it revealed that "puppet" has been communicating with "liar" and "psychopath" to work against [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s "good" alternate states by reading messages on [[Noa Karada|Noa]] wrote on her own arm in marker, and then rubbing them away. "Expiator" warns "nice" of the danger, and [[Noa Karada|Noa]] hurries home. She finds her parents alive and well, since she never triggered [[Hiroki Karada|Hiroki]]'s cell phone ringtone by calling him. She confesses to them that she isn't entirely ready to have her own apartment and be independent. They understand and say they will support her. She runs to the [[Noa's apartment|upper apartment]] to confirm the memories flashing through her mind, and finds equipment for planning and carrying out the murder, including some real life representations of [[Logic Train]] minigames. [[Noa Karada|Noa]]'s "evil" alters realize that they have lost. Finally, [[Noa Karada|Noa]] explains that she continued to live with her parents in her life, and that she's beginning to make some friends after finding a new therapist. Playing through the game again (or loading a save), from the "[[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] is Guilty" ending, and then playing the game until you talk to [[Ume Hakase|Ume]] again results in a darker ending. Everything is the same leading up to [[Noa Karada|Noa]] exploring the upper apartment, where she discovers that it is completely empty. It is implied that the entire scheme to kill her parents was just in her head. A gunshot sounds from downstairs. [[Noa Karada|Noa]] rushes down to see [[Junji Uzumaki|Uzumaki]] standing over her dead parents, wearing the rabbit mask. He mutters something about Amane needing a friend, before shooting [[Noa Karada|Noa]] point blank. This one's broken... — [[Junji Uzumaki|Dr. Uzumaki]]. Seeing both true endings unlocks the [[Broken Minds extras|extras menu]]. References